PDP decries non-payment of Ekiti pensioners

The Peoples Democratic Party in the South-West has decried the refusal of the Action Congress of Nigeria-led government in Ekiti State to pay pensions and gratuities of pensioners in the state.
The PDP said: “It is a sin for any government to deny people who served the state meritoriously their retirement benefits.”
The party accused the state government of not paying pensioners as at when due, adding: “As against the payment of pension on the 22nd of the month when PDP was in government in the state, pensioners no longer get paid until the end of the following month.”
The Zonal Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Kayode Babade, said in a statement on Sunday that government workers both at the state and local councils levels, who retired since 2011, are yet to get their gratuities.
The party added that the government has also refused to pay the pensioners their arrears of harmonisation, which is commensurate increment in pension in line with increment of workers salaries, describing the non-payment as criminal.
It said when PDP was in government, gratuities were paid within 60 days of retirement, but now retirees are not getting their gratuities more than one year after retirement.
The statement reads: “Some time in September last year, Governor Kayode Fayemi directed that a verification exercise be carried out to ascertain the number of pensioners in the state.
“Then, the governor said after the verification exercise, the harmonisation arrears will be paid but more than one year after, it has not been paid. Instead, the governor has been treating the pensioners with contempt, claiming that pension is not a right but a privilege and promising the pensioners a 18-seater bus.
“Also, as at today, gratuities of workers who retired since October 2010 have not been paid while pension for the month of September has also not been paid.
“Pension for the month of August, which ought to have been paid on August 22nd as done by the PDP government, was not paid until September 17.
“It is therefore important that Fayemi is prevailed upon to stop treating our elders, who had served the state even when he (Fayemi) was still a toddler, like beggars because he too will grow old one day.
“Also, non-payment of retirees entitlements on time is a direct invitation to fraud because those still in service will have no option than to steal government fund in other to secure their old age.”